Free-standing sports training wall

ABSTRACT

A free-standing sports training wall is provided, the free-standing sports training wall including a frame and a substantially smooth heat-strengthened glass panel attached to the frame. The glass panel forming at least part of a rebound surface of the free-standing sports training wall.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a free-standing sports training wall and a method of providing a free-standing sports training wall, and in particular to such a wall for practicing racquet sports, such as tennis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many sports involve hitting or kicking balls either between players or at targets. For example, racquet sports, such as tennis, involve two or more players hitting a ball between one another over a net to create a rally. However, when players want to practice these sports alone, it is usually impossible or inefficient to do so on a standard court. Thus, special training equipment is required to allow players to train alone.

Sports training walls have therefore been introduced to allow players to train for these sports alone. They typically comprise a hard and mostly flat “rebound surface”, which players can hit their choice of ball against. The ball will rebound off this surface back toward the player, such that the rebound surface effectively acts as another player within the game. This allows a single player to engage in continuous play, as in a real game.

Training walls developed for other sports are generally unsuitable for practicing tennis or other racquet sports. For example, DE 20 2007 018 084 U1 describes a training wall for practicing association football (soccer) which has a safety glass surface on which markings to simulate goalposts are provided. However, its dimensions are based on those of a soccer goal and large apertures are provided in the surface to provide targets through which footballs may be kicked. US 2013/0344998 discloses another soccer training device, but this is in the form of a small and low freestanding wall that is quite unsuited for practicing tennis shots.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,956 discloses a tennis training surface for mounting to the fence of a tennis court which may have aiming targets marked on it and which has a mirror surface to that the practicing player can see his- or herself taking a shot. Another racquet sport training surface is described in AU-B-60721/86, where a curved convex surface is provided using wires to tension a glass panel.

However, most known sports training walls use blockwork walls, mesh walls, or metal sheet walls to form a planar rebound surface. These training walls are often either temporary and therefore not particularly durable, or are costly and complex to install. Furthermore, the rebound surfaces of these training walls tend to deteriorate over time, with both their strength and their smoothness reducing with each use. Therefore, over time, these known sports training walls become less effective at emulating real life games, and become more susceptible to deterioration. Players therefore need to repair or resurface these sports training walls at regular intervals, which is both costly and time-consuming. In addition, a conventional wall does not provide a particularly realistic visual aspect.

There is therefore a desire for a more durable sports training wall with a structure that allows close emulation of real racquet sports games, particularly tennis, whilst also being resistant to damage over time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a free-standing sports training wall is provided. The free-standing sports training wall comprises a frame and a substantially smooth heat-strengthened glass panel attached to the frame, the glass panel forming at least part of a rebound surface of the free-standing sports training wall.

In particular, the training wall is for practicing tennis and accordingly there is provided a free-standing tennis training wall comprising a frame and a substantially smooth and planar heat-strengthened glass panel attached to the frame, the glass panel forming at least part of a rebound surface of the free-standing tennis training wall and wherein the glass panel comprises markings configured to represent a tennis net.

Thus, the present invention utilises a heat-strengthened glass panel to provide at least part of such a rebound surface. The use of a heat-strengthened glass panel for this purpose offers multiple advantages. For example, it ensures that the rebound surface is substantially smooth, thus preventing any unwanted or unexpected deflections during use. Further, the heat-strengthening of the glass panel provides the glass panel with sufficient hardness and strength to serve as an effective rebound surface that is resistant to damage. In addition, because such walls may be transparent, they can be located such that the player has a more realistic visual aspect, e.g. by providing them on a normal tennis court, such that the player can aim his or her shots as if playing a game. As such, the heat-strengthened glass panel provides a smooth, planar and long-lasting rebound surface for the sports training wall, which is both durable and capable of simulating a real game more accurately than conventional training walls.

The glass panel is attached to the frame to form the free-standing sports training wall. In the present specification, the surface of the glass panel intended to face towards the player is regarded as the front surface and may be considered to face in a forward direction, and the back or rear surface of the glass panel may be considered to face in a backwards direction. The back surface of the glass panel may contact the frame or may be spaced therefrom by suitable resilient spacers to protect the glass and reduce vibrational noise. The frame therefore provides support to the glass panel through its attachment with the glass panel.

The front surface of the glass panel therefore provides at least part of the rebound surface of the sports training wall. The front surface of the glass panel may form the whole rebound surface of the sports training wall, or may form only part of the rebound surface of the sports training wall. The rebound surface may be considered to be a surface of the free-standing sports training wall against which balls are hit. The rebound surface should be continuous (i.e. free of apertures through which balls may pass) to ensure that balls striking it rebound back in the general direction of the player. Preferably it extends from one side of the frame to the other and it where the frame has an upper portion, it also preferably extends from the ground to that portion of the frame. The rebound surface should generally be sufficiently hard in order to allow objects, such as balls made of an elastic material, to rebound from the rebound surface upon impact with the rebound surface.

As noted above, the sports training wall of the invention is a free-standing sports training wall, i.e. it is configured to stand independently of other structures, such as walls or fencing. The sports training wall may optionally be connected to other structures, such as existing sport nets or fencing (e.g. to keep balls within the practice area). However, the sports training wall need not rely on these structures for support. Preferably, the frame itself is free-standing and thus it may be erected prior to the attachment of the glass panel.

The sports training wall may be for use in a sports area, for example an area for racquet sports such as tennis and/or squash. The sports training wall may be configured to be integrated into the sports area. The sports training wall may be configured to be fixedly attached to a sports court of the sports area. Thus, the sports training wall may not be moveable once it is installed. This may be advantageous, as it may prevent any displacement of the sports training wall during use.

The sports training wall may be fixedly attached to the sports court through any suitable fixing means. In particular, the frame of the sports training wall may be fixedly attached to the sports court. For example, the frame of the sports training wall may be fixedly attached to the sports court through mechanical fixing means, such as nuts and/or bolts. Additionally, or alternatively, the frame may be fixedly attached to the sports court through chemical fixing means, such as an adhesive and/or cement. In such arrangements, the frame may comprise a plurality of uprights without the need for any lateral supports or additional bracing against the ground.

Alternatively, the sports training wall may comprise a base. This may provide high stability to the sports training wall. The base may be configured to be fixedly attached to the sports court, or it may comprise lateral supports and/or ballast to enable it to support the wall without attachment to the ground. The frame may be removeably attached to the base. The base may be fixedly attached to the sports court through any suitable fixing means. For example, the base may be fixedly attached to the sports court through mechanical fixing means such as nuts and/or bolts. Additionally, or alternatively, the base may be fixedly attached to the sports court through chemical fixing means, such as an adhesive and/or cement.

The glass panel should be flat/planar and substantially smooth. In particular, whilst some imperfections may be tolerated, the front surface of the glass panel is preferably substantially smooth. The rebound surface of the free-standing sports training wall is therefore also substantially smooth. In this way, unexpected and/or unwanted deflections from the rebound surface may be minimized and/or eliminated. Nevertheless, it is within the scope of this invention for the rebound surface to be provided with non-planar features or irregularities, for example to simulate shots from an opponent that swing or spin, or otherwise to provide more challenging practice.

The glass panel may be attached to the frame through any suitable attachment means. The attachment means may comprise fixings, such as nuts, bolts, lugs, washers, and/or brackets. One convenient arrangement is to use L-shaped brackets which may be bolted to the glass and to the frame.

Where parts of the attachment means pass through the glass panel, they preferably have portions that lie substantially flush with the front surface of the glass panel. That is, a forward-facing end of the attachment means is preferably substantially flush with the front surface of the glass panel, e.g. by means of countersinking. Thus, the front surface of the glass panel and the forward-facing end of the attachment means may together form the rebound surface of the sports training wall. In this way, it may be ensured that a substantially smooth rebound surface is maintained, and thus the amount of unwanted deflections arising from unevenness between the attachment means and the glass panel is minimized and/or eliminated.

A degree of irregularity may be permissible. Thus, the forward-facing end of the attachment means may be positioned to lie within 5 mm from either side of the front surface of the glass panel (i.e. slightly proud or slightly recessed), but preferably within 1 mm from either side of the front surface of the glass panel. This may allow some degree of unevenness between the forward-facing end of the attachment means and the front surface of the glass panel whilst still minimizing the amount of unwanted deflections.

The frame may comprise mild steel, preferably cold-formed mild steel, which may be used to form tubular sections, which are most conveniently of square or rectangular section since this allows for convenient interconnection and fixing of the glass. The frame may be any suitable type of frame that is able to support the glass panel. For example, the frame may comprise a plurality of posts. The frame may comprise a plurality of vertical posts and at least one horizontal post. The at least one horizontal post may be a horizontal crossbar (i.e. it may be located at the top of the frame to resemble association football goalposts).

The plurality of vertical posts may comprise two vertical end posts and at least one vertical intermediate post. The at least one horizontal post may be attached across the top of the vertical posts to form the frame. The plurality of posts forming the frame may be attached to one another through frame attachment means. The frame attachment means may be any suitable form of attachment means, such as nuts, bolts, lugs, washers, and/or brackets (again, L-shaped brackets are a convenient arrangement). A frame formed of posts as described may enable users to be able to still see through the sports training wall without the frame obscuring the view behind the sports training wall.

The at least one vertical intermediate post of the frame may be offset from each of the vertical end posts of the frame in the backward direction. The offset between the at least one vertical intermediate post and the vertical end posts may be approximately equal to the thickness of the glass panel. This may enable easy assembly of the glass panel with the frame, and may ensure a snug fit between the frame and the glass panel.

One or more of the posts of the frame may comprise an end-cap. The end-cap may be a welded-on end cap, or it may be in the form of a plastic plug. In this way, the ingress of water, moisture and dirt in the posts may be avoided, and the longevity of the frame may be ensured even if used outdoors.

The free-standing sports training wall is particularly envisaged as a racquet sports training wall. The rebound surface may thus be a surface for withstanding sports ball impacts. As such, the glass panel should be configured to withstand relevant sports ball impacts without breaking and/or shattering. The glass panel may be configured to withstand at least tennis ball impacts without breaking and/or shattering. For example, the glass panel may also be configured to withstand impacts from squash balls. However, it need not normally be designed to withstand cricket ball or baseball impacts, for example.

The glass panel may be configured to withstand human impact, for example through collisions with humans during training. The glass panel may be configured to withstand impacts up to 120 N/mm². The glass panel may be a heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass panel. The glass panel may be manufactured to BS EN 14179-1:2005 standard. This may allow the glass panel to comfortably withstand impacts from at least some sports balls during use.

The glass panel may be substantially transparent. This may be advantageous as it is beneficial during training to be able to see in which direction a ball would travel during real-time play, i.e. without the sports training wall. This may be important, for example, when practising aim. The glass panel may be any suitable thickness for providing appropriate strength to the glass panel whilst remaining substantially transparent. Thus, the glass panel may, for example, be anywhere between 10 mm and 14 mm thick. It is however preferred for the glass panel to be approximately (or at least) 12 mm thick. This thickness should ensure that the glass panel is sufficiently strong whilst still remaining substantially transparent and not being excessively heavy. The glass panel is preferably approximately 2 m in width.

The sports training wall may be used in any suitable location, but is preferably for use on a sports court. The sports court may be any suitable sports court, such as a tennis court or a squash court. The sports court may be an outdoors sports court. Thus, the sports training wall may be designed for outdoor use. The sports training wall may therefore be configured to withstand typical outdoor wind loads and/or snow loads. For example, the sports training wall may be configured to withstand wind loads of up to 1200 N/m². Additionally, or alternatively, the sports training wall may be configured to withstand a large range of temperatures. For example, the sports training wall may be configured to withstand temperatures of up to 250° C. The sports training wall may be configured to withstand sub-zero temperatures. The sports training wall may therefore remain in good condition regardless of weather conditions. The sports training wall may also be for indoor use. Thus, a user may have the freedom to choose where they place the sports training wall.

The glass panel comprises markings to represent certain symbols or images including a tennis net, but may also include other markings, such as a target. In this way, the markings may provide reference points for a user during training. This may aid and/or enhance the training of a user. The markings may be integral to the glass panel. The markings may be formed of any suitable long-lasting substance. For example, the markings may be formed of heat-treatable paint, such as a heat-treatable ceramic paint. The markings may therefore become integral with the glass panel upon being heat-treated. This may create a particularly strong bond between the glass panel and the markings. Thus, the markings may be resistant to damage, and may not be subject to the usual wear and tear resulting from continuous use of the sports training wall.

As noted above, it is preferred to install the training wall on a sports court. Thus, according to a second aspect of the invention, a sports area may be provided. The sports area may comprise a sports court and a free-standing sports training wall located on the sports court. The free-standing sports training wall may be the free-standing sports training wall of the first aspect of the invention, and may comprise any of the optional features associated therewith.

The sports area may be any suitable sports area, such as a tennis court or a squash court. The sports court may be sized depending on the sport played (i.e. to conform to the laws of the game). For example, if the sports court is for tennis, the sports court may be the size of a standard tennis court, or the size of half of a standard tennis court. The sports court may therefore be up to 24 m long, preferably at least 12 m long. The sports court may be up to 11 m wide. The sports training wall may therefore span any distance suitable for such sports courts. However, it is preferred that the glass panel of the sports training wall be approximately 2 m wide. The sports training wall may comprise a plurality of glass panels of this size, with each glass panel being attached to the frame and each glass panel forming at least part of the rebound surface of the sports training wall. The sports training wall may therefore span distances of approximately 2 m, approximately 4 m, approximately 6 m, and so on depending on the number of glass panels. The sports court may comprise any suitable type of court, such as a grass court, an artificial grass court, a hard court (such as an acrylic hard court), and/or a clay court.

The free-standing sports training wall is preferably located at a far end of the sports court. With this arrangement, it is ensured that the sports training wall does not prevent players from playing actual games on the sports court. Whilst it is preferred for the sports training wall to be located at the far end of the sports court, it will be appreciated that the sports training wall is suitable for use at any desired position on a sports court, such as at a centre of the sports court.

The free-standing sports training wall may be fixedly attached to the sports court. For example, the sports court may comprise one or more receiving portions for receiving the frame of the sports training wall. The frame may be fixed within the one or more receiving portions through any suitable fixing means, such as cement. This may create enable the frame to be embedded in the sports court, thus creating a secure attachment between the two. Alternatively, the sports training wall may comprise a base, and the base may be fixed to the sports court using suitable fixing means. This may provide increased stability to the sports training wall. The fixing may be designed to allow easy removal and reinstallation of the training wall.

The sports area may be indoors or outdoors. The sports area may comprise further structures, such as net and/or a fence. The net may be, for example, a tennis net. The sports training wall may be attached to the net and/or the fence. However, it will be appreciated that the sports training wall is configured to stand independently of any other structures, and any attachment to other structures is thus an optional feature.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method of providing a free-standing sports training wall is provided. The method includes assembling a free-standing frame of the free-standing sports wall; providing a heat treated substantially smooth glass panel to form a substantially smooth glass panel of the free-standing sports training wall; and attaching the glass panel to the free-standing frame to form a substantially smooth rebound surface of the free-stranding sports training wall.

In particular, as noted the invention is particularly for tennis training and so the invention may provide a method of providing a free-standing tennis training wall, the method comprising: assembling a free-standing frame of the free-standing tennis training wall; providing a heat treated and substantially smooth and planar glass panel to form a substantially smooth heat-strengthened glass panel of the free-standing sports training wall; applying markings configured to represent a tennis net on the glass panel; and attaching the substantially smooth and planar heat-strengthened glass panel to the free-standing frame to form at least part of a rebound surface of the free-standing sports training wall.

The method may be a method for providing the free-standing sports training wall of the first aspect, including any of the optional features described therein with reference to the first aspect.

The method may include attaching the glass panel to the frame such that the back surface of the glass panel contacts the frame or is spaced therefrom by suitable resilient spacers to protect the glass and reduce vibrational noise. The method may include attaching the glass panel to the frame such that the front surface of the glass panel forms at least part of the rebound surface of the sports training wall.

The method may include assembling the free-standing frame by attaching a plurality of vertical posts to at least one horizontal post (using, for example, L-shaped brackets). Namely, the method may include assembling the free-standing frame by attaching the at least one horizontal post across the top of the plurality of vertical posts. The plurality of vertical posts may comprise two vertical end posts and at least one vertical intermediate post, and the method may include assembling at least part of the free-standing frame by arranging the at least one vertical intermediate post between the two vertical end posts. The method may include assembling at least part of the free-standing frame by arranging the vertical intermediate post such that it is offset from each vertical end post in the backward direction. The offset between the vertical intermediate post and each of the vertical end posts may be approximately equal to the thickness of the glass panel. This arrangement may enable easy attachment of the glass panel to the frame.

The method may include assembling the free-standing frame by attaching at least one end-cap to at least one of the vertical posts and/or the at least one horizontal post. The method may include welding the end-cap to the at least one of the vertical posts and/or the at least one horizontal post, or inserting an end cap in the form of a plug, which may be of plastic. In this way, the ingress of water, moisture and dirt in the posts may be avoided, and the longevity of the frame may be ensured.

The method may include assembling the frame such that it is capable of standing independently of other structures. That is, the method may include assembling the frame such that the frame is able to stand without support from any other structures, such as walls or fencing.

The method may include attaching the glass panel to the frame through any suitable attachment means. The method may include attaching the glass panel to the frame through fixings such as nuts, bolts, lugs, washers, and/or brackets. In particular, the method may include attaching the glass panel to the frame by bolting L-shaped brackets to the glass panel and the frame. Where parts of the attachment means pass through the glass panel, the method may preferably include assembling the attachment means such that portions of the attachment means lie substantially flush with the front surface of the glass panel, e.g. by means of countersinking. That is, the method may preferably include assembling the attachment means such that a forward-facing end of the attachment means are substantially flush with the front surface of the glass panel. Thus, the front surface of the glass panel and the forward-facing end of the attachment means may together form the rebound surface of the sports training wall. In this way, it may be ensured that a substantially smooth rebound surface is maintained, and thus the amount of unwanted deflections arising from unevenness between the attachment means and the glass panel is minimized and/or eliminated.

Alternatively, the method may include assembling the attachment means such that the forward-facing end of the attachment means lie within 5 mm from either side of the front surface of the glass panel (i.e. slightly proud or slightly recessed), but preferably within 1 mm from either side of the front surface of the glass panel. This may allow some degree of unevenness between the forward-facing end of the attachment means and the front surface of the glass panel whilst still minimizing the amount of unwanted deflections.

The method may include heat treating the glass panel such that the glass panel is able to withstand relevant sports ball impacts without breaking and/or shattering. For example, the method may include heat treating the glass panel such that the glass panel is able to withstand at least tennis ball impacts without breaking and/or shattering. However, it need not normally be heat treated such that it can withstand cricket ball or baseball impacts, for example. The method may include heat treating the glass panel such that the glass panel is able to withstand human impact, such as human collisions during training. The method may include heat treating the glass panel such that the glass panel is able to withstand impacts up to 120 N/mm². The method may include heat treating a heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass panel. The method may include heat treating the glass panel to BS EN 14179-1:2005 standard. The method may include heat treating a substantially transparent glass panel. The method may include heat treating a glass panel with a thickness between 10 mm and 14 mm, preferably approximately (or at least) 12 mm thick. This thickness should ensure that the glass panel is sufficiently strong whilst still remaining substantially transparent and not being excessively heavy.

The method may include connecting the sports training wall to other structures, such as a wall, a fence, or a sports net. However, it will be understood that the sports training wall may not rely on these structures for support.

The method includes forming markings on the glass panel. For example, the method may include forming markings on the glass panel resemble symbols or images including markings that resemble a net, but other markings, e.g. representing a target may also be provided. In this way, the glass panel may comprise markings that provide reference points for a user during training. This may aid and/or enhance the training of a user. The method may include applying the markings to the glass panel through any suitable process, for example through a manual or automated painting process. The method may include binding the markings to the glass panel through any suitable process. For example, the method may include binding the markings to the glass panel by heat treating the markings. In this way, the markings may become integral with the glass panel. This may create a particularly strong bond between the glass panel and the markings. The method may include heat treating both the markings and the glass panel simultaneously. The heat treating of the markings and the heat-strengthening the glass panel may therefore occur in a single step. Thus, the applying of the markings to the glass panel may occur prior to any heat-treating process. The method may include heat treating the markings and/or heat treating the glass panel at a temperature of between 600° C. and 750° C., preferable between 650° C. and 700° C. This may ensure the manufacture of the sports training wall is streamlined. Alternatively, the heat treating of the markings and the heat-strengthening the glass panel may occur separately. For example, the method may include heat treating the glass panel to form the glass panel before applying the markings to the glass panel. This may allow the markings and the glass panel to be individually heat treated at an optimal temperature for them.

The method may be a method of manufacturing a sports training wall configured to withstand typical outdoor wind loads and/or snow loads. For example, the method may be a method of manufacturing a sports training wall configured to withstand wind loads of up to 1200 N/m². Additionally, or alternatively, the method may be a method of manufacturing a sports training wall configured to withstand a large range of temperatures, such as temperatures of up to 250° C. and/or sub-zero temperatures. The sports training wall may therefore remain in good condition regardless of weather conditions, and thus may be suitable for outdoor use.

According to fourth aspect of the invention, a method for assembling a sports area may be provided. The method may be for assembling, for example, a tennis court or a squash court. The method may include fixedly attaching a free-standing sports training wall to a sports court of the sports training area. The method may include fixedly attaching the free-standing sports training wall of the first aspect to the sports court.

The method may include fixedly attaching the sports training wall to the sports courts through any suitable attachment means. The method may include fixedly attaching the frame of the sports training wall to the sports court. For example, the method may include fixedly attaching the frame of the sports training wall to the sports court through mechanical fixing means, such as nuts and/or bolts. Additionally, or alternatively, the method may include fixedly attaching the frame of the sports training wall to the sports court through chemical fixing means, such as an adhesive and/or cement. Alternatively, the method may include fixedly attaching a base of the sports training wall to the sports court. The method may include attaching the frame of the sports training wall to the base of the sports training wall. The method may include fixedly attaching the base to the sports court through any suitable fixing means. For example, the method may include attaching the base to the sports court through mechanical fixing means such as nuts and/or bolts. Additionally, or alternatively, the method may include attaching the base to the sports court through chemical fixing means, such as an adhesive and/or cement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevation of a free-standing tennis training wall;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the free-standing tennis training wall of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a partial rear elevation of the free-standing tennis training wall of FIG. 1 showing certain connection details;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a sports area provided with the free-standing tennis training wall of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows sports training wall 10 for practising tennis (which may also be referred to as a tennis training wall) according to an embodiment of the invention, which comprises a frame 12 and a glass panel 14 (shown in grey) as its main components. The frame 12 of the sports training wall 10 is a free-standing frame 12 formed of a plurality of posts 20, 22, 24 formed of rectangular-section steel tube.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the frame 12 is formed of two vertical end posts 20, a vertical intermediate post 22, and two horizontal posts 24. The horizontal posts 24 are attached between the tops of the vertical posts 20, 22 to form the overall frame 12. The lowermost parts of the vertical posts 20, 22 set into the ground when the training wall is installed.

The glass panel 14 extends vertically from the top of the frame 12 to a point between the midpoint of the frame 12 and the bottom of the frame 12, which is above ground level when the wall is installed. It forms a smooth rebound surface of the sports training wall 10.

The glass panel 14 is attached to the frame 12 through attachment means 26. These attachment means 26 will be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

FIG. 2 shows the attachment between the frame 12 and the glass panel 14 more clearly. As shown in FIG. 2 , the glass panel 14 comprises a front surface 28 and a back surface 30. The front surface 28 faces in a forward direction A, whilst the back surface 30 faces in a backward direction B. It is the front surface 28 that forms the rebound surface of the sports training wall 10. As can be clearly seen from FIG. 2 , the back surface 30 of the glass panel 14 is in contact with the vertical intermediate post 22 and the horizontal posts 24, whilst the two horizontal ends of the glass panel 14 abut the vertical end posts 20. In this way, the frame 12 supports the glass panel 14. Thus, the frame 12 provides support to the glass panel 14.

The attachment means 16 connect the frame 12 to the glass panel 14. In FIG. 2 , the attachment means 16 can be seen to comprise L-shaped brackets 32 and nuts/bolts 34, 56. One leg of the L-shaped bracket 32 abuts the frame 12, whilst the other leg is spaced from the back surface 30 of the glass panel 14 by a resilient rubber spacer 52. The bolts 34 have countersunk heads received in countersunk apertures 36 in the glass panel 14 and extend through the panel and one leg of the L-shaped bracket 32 where they are secured with a nut 56. The other leg of the bracket 32 is bolted to the frame 12 by means of a bolt 34 received in a threaded aperture in the frame. Thus, the L-shaped bracket 32 and nuts/bolts 34, 56 form a secure attachment between the frame 12 and the glass panel 14. As will be seen from FIG. 1 , a suitable number of attachment means is provided on each vertical post.

As noted, the forward-facing ends 38 of bolts 34 have countersunk heads, and these are substantially flush with the front surface 28 of the glass panel 14. Thus, the rebound surface of the sports training wall 10 is substantially smooth and substantially planar.

FIG. 2 further shows the position of the vertical intermediate post 22 relative to the two vertical end posts 20. As can be seen, the vertical intermediate post 22 has the same size and section as the other posts, but is offset from each of the vertical end posts 20 in the backward direction B. This offset is approximately equal to the thickness of the glass panel 14. The offset between the vertical posts 20, 22 therefore allows a snug fit between the glass panel 14 and the frame 12, and allows easy assembly between the glass panel 14 and the frame 12.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of part of the back of the sports training wall 10, in which the attachment means 26 between the frame 12 and the glass panel 14 can be clearly seen. In addition to the attachment means 26, FIG. 3 also shows frame attachment means 40, which are configured to attach the posts 20, 22, 24 to one another to form the overall frame 12. In FIG. 3 , the frame attachment means 40 are shown to be similar to the attachment means 16, and thus also comprise L-shaped brackets 42 and bolts 44. The L-shaped brackets 42 of the frame attachment means 40 are in contact with given surfaces of the posts 20, 22, 24, and the bolts 44 extend through the L-shaped brackets 42 into threaded apertures in the posts 20, 22, 24 to form a secure attachment between the posts 20, 22, 24. Whilst only the attachment between the vertical intermediate post 22 and the horizontal posts 24 is shown in FIG. 3 , such frame attachment means 40 will be similarly used to attach the vertical end posts 20 to the horizontal posts 24.

The rebound surface formed in part by the glass panel 14 is substantially smooth, such that players can practice tennis against the glass panel 14 without any unexpected deflections.

In order to ensure that the glass panel 14 can withstand impacts from tennis balls or other similar objects without breaking and/or shattering, the glass panel 14 is heat-strengthened to form a heat-strengthened glass panel 14. The glass panel 14 is therefore configured to withstand at least tennis ball impacts. Additionally, the glass panel 14 is configured to withstand impacts from players who may collide with the sports training wall 10 during practice. Thus, the glass panel 14 is configured to withstand impacts of up to 120 N/mm². The glass panel 14 as shown in the Figures is formed of heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass, and is 12 mm thick.

Although shown in grey in the Figures for illustrative purposes, the glass panel 14 is substantially transparent. As such, players are able to see through the sports training wall 10 when practicing. This may be advantageous for players who want to practice their aim with reference to features within an actual sports court, or who would like to retain a full view of the area around the sports training wall for training purposes.

The glass panel 14 of FIG. 1 comprises markings 16, 18. These markings 16, 18 are integral to the glass panel 14, and are formed of heat-treated ceramic paint. Thus, after their initial application to the glass panel 14, the markings 16, 18 are heat treated, causing them to irreversibly bind to the glass panel 14. In this way, it is ensured that the markings 16, 18 cannot be physically removed from the glass panel 14, and thus are resistant to general wear and tear. The heat treatment of the markings 16, 18 may occur simultaneously to the heat treatment of the glass panel 14, or may occur subsequently to the heat treatment of the glass panel 14. As shown in FIG. 1 , the markings comprise a target 16, such that a player can practice their aim. Additionally, the markings have been made to resemble a tennis net 18, such that a player's training can emulate actual play of that sport as closely as possible.

The frame 12 is installed as discussed below and is free-standing; therefore, it does not require support from any other structures in order to stay upright. Consequently, the sports training wall 10 is also free-standing, and can be placed in any area without the need for any additional support structures. This is beneficial for users, as it allows users to choose freely where to place the sports training wall 10.

The sports training wall 10 is shown in use within a sports area 46 in FIG. 4 . The sports area 46 comprises a small-sized tennis court 48 with smaller dimensions than that of a standard tennis court. The sports training wall 10 of FIG. 4 is located at the far end of the sports court 48 in FIG. 4 .

The sports training wall 10 is installed in the tennis court 48 in FIG. 4 through fixing means 52. In this case, the fixing means comprises concrete blocks 54 cast around the lower parts of vertical posts 20, 22 in the well-known manner. However, it will be appreciated that other embodiments may use any suitable form of fixing means can be used, such as mechanical fixing means (e.g. the posts may have brackets that are bolted to secure fixing points). Further, alternative embodiments of the sports training wall 10 may comprise a base to which the frame 12 is attached, and the base, rather than the frame 12, may be fixedly attached to the sports court through suitable fixing means.

A player 50 may be present within the sports area 46 in order to train in their chosen sport (here tennis is illustrated) using the sports training wall 10.

The sports area 46 is shown as an outdoor sports area in FIG. 4 . (The sports training wall 10 is, however, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, subject to the use of suitable fixing means.) The illustrated sports training wall 10 is therefore configured to withstand typical outdoor weather conditions that are typical of the country within which the sports training wall 10 is used. It is therefore configured to withstand wind loads of up to 1200 N/m². The sports training wall 10 will withstand temperatures of up to 250° C. and/or sub-zero temperatures.

Thus, a durable and reliable sports training wall 10 is provided, which utilises the smoothness and toughness of the glass panel 14 to provide a desirable rebound surface against which a player can meaningfully practice a given sport, whilst allowing the player to see through the wall and thus have a more realistic experience. 

We claim:
 1. A free-standing tennis training wall, comprising: a frame; and a substantially smooth and planar heat-strengthened glass panel attached to the frame, the glass panel forming at least part of a rebound surface of the free-standing tennis training wall and wherein: the glass panel comprises markings configured to represent a tennis net.
 2. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-strengthened glass panel is attached to the frame through attachment means, the attachment means being substantially flush with a front surface of the heat strengthened glass panel.
 3. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass panel is configured to withstand tennis ball impacts.
 4. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass panel has a thickness of at least approximately 12 mm.
 5. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass panel comprises heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass.
 6. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass panel is substantially transparent.
 7. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of mild steel posts, preferably a plurality of cold-formed mild steel posts.
 8. The free-standing training wall as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free-standing sports training wall is for outdoor use.
 9. A sports area comprising: a sports court; and the free-standing tennis training wall as claimed in claim 1 fixedly attached to the sports court.
 10. The sports area as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sports area is a tennis court.
 11. A method of providing a free-standing tennis training wall, the method comprising: assembling a free-standing frame of the free-standing tennis training wall; providing a heat treated and substantially smooth and planar glass panel to form a substantially smooth heat-strengthened glass panel of the free-standing sports training wall; applying markings configured to represent a tennis net on the glass panel; and attaching the substantially smooth and planar heat-strengthened glass panel to the free-standing frame to form at least part of a rebound surface of the free-standing sports training wall.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the markings are heat treatable markings, and the method comprises heat treating the markings such that the markings irreversibly bind to the glass panel.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the heat treating of the glass panel and the heat treating of the markings occurs simultaneously. 